Tile-forming machine.



B. T. CQT

TILE' FQEMING MACHINE.

AKELEQATIQN FILED Dc.28. 1916 @XM/bww@ mr mmms persas co.. Pnomumo.. wasnma mw, n cv Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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T. COTTAM TILE FQRMING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 1150.23, |916.

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TILE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED nEc.28. |916.

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Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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TILE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mickael i916.

Patented Apr. 24,1917.

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PATENT FFE@ ROBERT TMCOTTAM, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

TILE-FORMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24, 19117.,

Application filed December 28, 19,16. Serial No. 139,366. i

a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of machines designed for making cement roofing tiles and the object thereof is to improve upon the general construction of machines of this class 'to lsuch an extent as to render them more advantageous in a number of ways.

With the foregoing general object in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 8-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section showing the shaper bar in use for forming the tops of the tiles;

Fig'. 5 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of one end of said bar;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section thereof on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of portions of the machine with parts in horizontal section,

showing more particularly the manner inv which the sandingy screen is moved forwardly over the molding frame;

Fig. 8 isl a detail transverse section through the supporting tracks of the sanding screen taken substantially on `the plane of the line 8 8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section showing the use of the removable partition in the moldinlg frame for forming starting and finishing ti es;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of Fig. 9 on the plane of the line 10.-10 thereof;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figs,- .9 and 105 Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the removablepartition; and

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of one of the starting and finishing tiles formed by the machine when the removable partition is applied. y

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 has reference to a horizontal supporting frame preferably formed of a.n gle iron or steel and supported on suitable legs 2. Front and rear transverse bars 3 eX- tend between and are secured to the upper sides of the side bars of the frame 1, said bars 3 supporting thereon a rectangular tile molding frame 4.

A plurality of set screws 5 are threaded through and project above the bars 3 for supporting thereon a suitable pallet 6 upon which the tiles T are formed, and for the purpose of ejecting the vpallet 6, a plurality of vertical pins 7 are employed, said pins being carried by a suitable head 8 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 9 so that when said shaft is forced upwardly the pallet will be raised to discharge the completed tile from the machine. .For a purpose yet to be set forth six pins 7 are preferably employed, said pins being disposed in two series of three extending respectively into the two halves of the frame 4.

The shaft 9 above described slides through upper and lower bearings 10 and 11 carried respectively by an arched bar 12 and a horizontal bar 13, these bars being preferably joined integrally at their ends and bolted to cross bars 14 whose ends are secured to the legs 2. A brace 15 extends rearwardly from the upper bearing 10 to a rear cross bar 16 and thus it will be obvious that the two bearings will be rigidly held in vertical alinement. Vertically spaced anti-friction rollers 17 project laterally from the shaft 9 between the bearings 10 and 11 and a flat metal bar 18 extends vertically between the outer ends of said rollers, the inner end of a foot lever 19 Vbeing disposed between the rollers 17 and between the bar 18 and shaft 9. The lever 19 is preferably fulcrumed to a suitable bracket 20 on a cross bar 21 supported by the bars 14, said lever thus having an adequate amount of power for raising the pallet 6 when required.

A socket member 22 depends from the pallet 6 for forming the usual anchoring H web N on the lower face of the tile T and for the purpose of perforating said web a,

horizontal pin 23 is provided, saidlpin having a vertical shank 24 mounted adj ustabiy in a socket 25 carried by the inner end of a horizontally moving rod 26 supported in any preferred manner and preferably returned to its normal position by a spring 2T. Adjustment of the stem 24 is made when the set screws 5 are turned upwardly or downwardly to decrease or increase the thickness of the tile.

On tiles of the general class which the iinproved machine is designed to manufacture, it is necessary to form notches in certain corners thereof and for this purpose the corresponding corners of the frame 4 are provided with internal vertically extending right-angular ribs 28, the pallet 6 being necessarily notched at its corners to slide over said ribs when moved vertically by depression of the foot lever 19. The provision of the ribs 28 will form the required notches in the corners of the tile simultaneously with constructing the latter and is therefore deemed a rather salient feature of the inven tion.

For the purpose of imparting the necessary formation to the upper surface of the tilea shaper bar 29 is provided, said bar being supported slidably on angle iron or steel tracks 30 secured to and spaced from the side bars of the frame 1 by suitable blocks 31. Lugs 32 depend from the end portions of the bar 29 and said end portions are provided with longitudinally extending dove-tail grooves 33 receiving dove-tail ribs 34 on horizontal wear plates 35, said plates havingvertical wear flanges 36 at their inner ends. Screws 37 are provided for holding the flanges 36 in contact with the lugs 32 and since said flanges are joined integrally to the plates 35, the latter are also held in operative position, said plates and flanges being adapted to travel on the tracks 30 as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. By this construction, when the plates 35 and flanges 36 become worn, they may be easily replaced.

A pair of rigid brackets or the like 38 rise from the rear end of the frame 1, said brackets supporting a horizontal rock shaft 59 to which the well known trimming frame 40 is rigidly secured, said frame being adapted to swing downwardly upon the frame 1 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to trim the edges of the completed tile as the latter is ejected from the machine. Collars 4l are secured on the ends of the shaft 39 and abut the brackets 38 to prevent endwise shifting of said shaft and angular stop fingers 42 project from said collars for contact with said brackets to limit the rearward movement of the frame 40 when the latter is raised, the collars in question therefore serving the two-fold function of preventing end wise shifting of the rock shaft and carrying?,` the stop lingers 42.

A. pair of rigid brackets 43 are secured to the rear legs 2 and extend rearwardly therefrom, said Brackets carrying a pair of fixed tracks 44 by which tracks 45 are slidably supported, a sanding frame 46 being in turn supported slidably by the tracks 45, being preferably provided with anti-friction rollers 47 traveling in said tracks 45.

The frame 46 is provided with an open bottom 4S preferably of one quarter inch mesh wire and a screen 49 is supported by said bottom and is allowed a slight amount of sliding movement thereon. A plurality of crossed strips 50 stand on edge upon the screen 49 and are rigidly secured together, said strips serving to prevent the sand in the frame 46 from gravitating to the center of the screen or to any other restricted area thereof when said frame is rapidly reciprocated over a completed tile in the frame 1, it being obvious from Fig. '7 that the arrangement of tracks above described permits said frame to be projected forwardly to the proper position for sanding the tiles as they are completed. A top lmay or may not be employed forl the frame 46 but in most cases its use is preferable.

Carried by the brackets 43 and disposed beneath the sanding frame 46 when the latter is in its normal position is a hopper 52 having in its lower end a drawer 53, said hopper being adapted to conduct any sand, which may fall from the screen, into said pan, from which it may be returned from time to time to the frame 46.

lt is to be observed that the brackets 43 are secured to the legs 2 rather than to the frame 1, this being deemed rather an important feature since less vibration is transmitted to the sanding device by this arrangement of brackets, this being desirable in order that the sand be not unnecessarily discharged from said device.

For the purpose of adapting the machine to manufacture half tiles T', certain additions are made as will be no-w described, said half tiles being commonly called starting and finishing tiles since they are used at the opposite ends of the several horizontal rows of tiles upon a roof in order that said tiles may break joints. 1t is necessary that the tiles T be of slightly greater width at their lower than at tieir ripper ends and that they be provided on their outer edges with a finishing flange F, the several flanges F overlapping` along the edge of the roof in the usual manner. 1n the attainment of these results, a suitably shaped pallet 6 and a removable partition bar 54 are employed.

The pallet 6 is of approximately half 125 the area of the pallet 6 and rests only upon one series of the pins 7 (see Fig. 11) but due to the arrangement of said pins the pallet will be ejected properly without canting thereof. The inner edge of the pallet 6 niverges in respect to the outer edge thereof in order to impart the necessary shape to the tile T and the partition har 54k extends along said inner edge of the pallet. The ends of bar 54: rest upon the bars 3 which constitute ledges and said bar is provided with angular' depending arms 55 at its ends carrying thumb screws or the like 56 for engagement with the lower sides of the bars 3 for clamping said bar 54 in place.

rlhe shaper bar 29 is used in connection with the arrangement of parts ust described and in order -that this oarmay clear the partition bar 54, the upper edge of the latter is beveled as shown at 57.

The use of machines of the class described is too well known to here require explanation but in conclusion it may be well to point out that the numerous novel features of construction above described all operate to advantage and materially increase the eff'ciency of tile forming machines of the general class shown. For these reasons, the features of construction shown and described are preferably employed but it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made without sacrificing the principal advantages.

'I claim:

l. ln a tile forming machine, the combination of a horizontal molding frame, inwardly extending ledges at the lower edge of opposite sides of said frame, a partition bar to rest on said ledges and extend between said sides, arms depending from the ends of said partition bar, and clamping screws carried by said arms for engagement with the lower faces of said ledges to clamp said partition bar in operative position.

In a tile forming machine, the combination of a horizontal molding` frame, means for supporting a pallet therein in any one of a number of vertically spaced planes, a prong for piercing a depending web of the tile, said prong having a vertical stem, al

socket in which said stem is mounted for vertical adjustment, and operating means' for the prong connected with said socket.

In a tile forming machine, the combination of a horizontal molding frame, horizontal tracks extending along two of the opposite sides of said frame, a shaper bar extending over said frame and having depending lugs on its end portions, the lower faces of said portions having dovetail grooves,

flat horizontal wear plates having dovetail.

ribs on their upper faces received slidably in said grooves, wear flanges depending from said plates and abutting the outer faces of the aforesaid lugs, and means for securing said plates in place, said plates and flanges being adapted to travel on the aforesaid tracks.

4. In a tile forming machine, the combination of a molding frame, a pair of rigidly fixed horizontal tracks spaced to one side of said frame, a second pair of horizontal tracks supported slidably on the first named tracks to be withdrawn toward the molding frame, and a tile sanding screen mounted slidably on said second pair of tracks to be disposed over the completed tile for sanding' the same when said screen is rapidly reciprocatcd along the second pair of tracks.

in a tile forming machine, the combination of a molding frame, a projectable and retractible sanding screen for sanding the tiles formed in said frame when said screen is reeiln'ocated, and a plurality of crossed slats standing on edge on said screen to prevent the sand from gravitating to restricted areas thereof.

G. i-i roofing tile machine comprising a horizontal molding frame, an irregularshaped bar movable over said frame to shape the top of the tiles, and a partition of a length to extend longitudinally of said frame from one end thereof to the other to permit the formation of half tiles therein and to allow the shaping of said half tiles by the same shaper bar used in molding complete tiles.

7. A roofing tile machine comprising a horizontal molding frame, an irregular- ,shaped bar movable over said frame to shape the top of they tiles, a partition to extend longitudinally of said frame to permit the formation of starting and finishing tiles therein, and a pallet for supporting said starting and finishing tiles, said pallet having one edgeextending downwardly and then outwardly for contact with the partition to form a depending flange on 'the starting or finishing tile. l

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the lpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT T. COTTAM.

lfifitnesses CnAs. lV. SELLERS, E. G. VVALFORD.

Copies of this patent' may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

